PRIVACY POLICY

Effective Date: January 01, 2026 | Last Updated: March 1, 2026 | impoundcarauction.com

 

Section 01

Overview

Impound Car Auction (“Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) operates the website impoundcarauction.com and any affiliated online portals and services (collectively, the “Services”). Our Services facilitate the auction and sale of impounded vehicles that have been towed and taken into possession by our affiliated towing company.

This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you access or use our Services — including browsing our website, registering as a bidder, participating in auctions, or contacting us.

By using our Services, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this Policy. If you do not agree with its terms, please discontinue use of our Services.

Important NoteThis Policy does not govern the privacy practices of third parties, including municipalities, government agencies, or other tow operators whose vehicle data may appear in our auction listings. Their practices are governed by their own privacy policies.
Section 02

Definitions

Term Meaning
Personal Information Information that identifies, relates to, describes, or could reasonably be linked to a particular person or household — including any data associated with you if it can be used to identify you, your household, or your device.
Usage Data Data collected automatically through your use of the website, such as your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and time spent on pages.
Cookies Small data files stored on your device by your web browser when you visit our website.
Services Our website, online auction platform, bidder registration portal, and all related products and support tools.
Consumer Any individual who is the subject of Personal Information collected or processed by us.
Section 03

Information We Collect

We collect several categories of information to provide and improve our Services.

Personal Information You Provide

When you register, bid, purchase, or otherwise interact with our Services, we may collect:

Full Name – Mailing Address – Email Address – Phone Number – Driver’s License Number – Government-Issued ID – Payment Information – Bidder Account Credentials – Auction Activity & Bid History – Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) – License Plate Number – Vehicle Title Information – Communications & Correspondence
Payment Processing: We do not directly store payment card numbers. Preferred payment methods are Business Checks or Cash. If paying by credit card, your card information is collected and processed by our third-party payment processor(s). We only retain a transaction confirmation and last-four-digit reference for your records.

Usage Data (Collected Automatically)

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical information, including your IP address, browser type and version, the pages you visit, the date and time of your visit, time spent on pages, unique device identifiers, and other diagnostic data. When accessed via mobile device, we may additionally collect device type, mobile OS, and mobile browser type.

Vehicle & Third-Party Data

As part of operating our auction Services, we may receive information about vehicles — including VINs, license plate numbers, and registered-owner data — from our affiliated towing company, impound lot records, motor vehicle databases, and applicable government or municipal agencies as permitted by law.

Section 04

How We Collect Information

Directly From You

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when you create an account, complete bidder registration, submit a contact form, sign up for auction alerts, make a purchase, or communicate with us.

Automatically Through Your Use of Our Site

We collect Usage Data and cookie data automatically as you browse and interact with our website and online auction portal. This includes session activity, pages viewed, and how you navigate the platform.

From Third Parties

We may receive information from the following categories of third parties:

Source Type of Information
Affiliated Towing Company Vehicle impound records, VINs, tow dates, storage fees owed
Impound Lot Records Vehicle holding status, lien information, release records
Municipal / Government Agencies Registered owner data required by law for lien/title processing
Motor Vehicle Inquiry Services Title history, lien searches, ownership verification
Payment Processors Transaction confirmation and fraud-check signals
Section 05

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

Purpose Details
Service Delivery To operate our auction platform, process bids and purchases, and facilitate vehicle transfers.
Identity Verification To verify that registered bidders and buyers are authorized to participate in auctions and take possession of vehicles.
Title & Ownership Transfer To process documentation required to legally transfer vehicle titles to winning bidders, including coordination with the DMV or applicable state agencies.
Communications To send auction alerts, account notices, bidding confirmations, payment receipts, and administrative updates.
Legal Compliance To comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws governing the sale of impounded and abandoned vehicles, including mandatory lien-holder notifications.
Fraud Prevention & Security To detect, prevent, and investigate fraudulent, unauthorized, or illegal activity involving our Services.
Site Improvement To analyze usage patterns, improve website functionality, and enhance the user experience.
Law Enforcement Assistance To assist law enforcement in prosecuting individuals engaged in criminal activity involving our Services, where legally required or permitted.
Section 06

Sharing & Disclosure

We Do Not Sell Your Information. Impound Car Auction does not sell, rent, or trade your Personal Information to any third party for their own marketing or commercial purposes.

We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

Service Providers

We engage trusted third-party vendors to help operate our Services — including web hosting, cloud storage, payment processing, and analytics. These parties receive only the data necessary to perform their functions and are contractually obligated not to use it for any other purpose.

Affiliated Towing & Impound Operations

As our auction inventory originates from vehicles towed and impounded by our affiliated towing company, we share relevant vehicle and transaction data with that affiliate as part of normal business operations.

Government Agencies & Regulatory Bodies

State and local laws governing the auction of impounded and abandoned vehicles require us to share certain information with the DMV, state motor vehicle agencies, and applicable municipal authorities — for example, to process title transfers or to fulfill mandatory notice requirements to registered vehicle owners and lienholders.

Legal Process & Law Enforcement

We may disclose your information when required to do so by law, subpoena, court order, or lawful request from a government authority, or when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, prevent fraud, or protect the safety of our users or the public.

Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our business assets, your Personal Information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change prior to your information becoming subject to a materially different privacy policy.

Section 07

Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to monitor activity on our website and improve your experience.

Types of Cookies We Use

Cookie Type Purpose
Session Cookies Temporary cookies that operate our Services during your visit and are automatically deleted when you close your browser.
Analytics Cookies Used via services such as Google Analytics to collect anonymous aggregate data about how visitors use our site (pages visited, traffic sources, session duration). This data is not linked to your identity.
Third-Party Cookies Third-party providers may place cookies on your device to track behavior across websites for analytics or advertising purposes. We do not control these cookies and their use is governed by the respective third party’s privacy policy.

Your Cookie Choices

You can control cookie behavior through your browser settings — including blocking all cookies, receiving warnings when cookies are set, or deleting existing cookies. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website. Refer to your browser’s help documentation for instructions.

Do Not Track

Our website does not currently respond to “Do Not Track” (DNT) browser signals, as there is no industry-wide standard for how DNT signals should be interpreted. Third-party providers operating on our site may independently choose to respond to DNT signals per their own policies.

Section 08

Data Security

We take the security of your Personal Information seriously and implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect it from unauthorized access, use, alteration, or disclosure.

These measures include SSL/TLS encryption for data transmitted through our website, restricted employee access to Personal Information on a need-to-know basis, and use of reputable third-party hosting and cloud infrastructure.

No Guarantee of Absolute Security. No method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data breach that affects your rights or interests, we will notify you as required by applicable law.
Section 09

Data Retention

We retain your Personal Information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including to comply with legal, regulatory, tax, and accounting obligations — and for as long as required to resolve disputes or enforce our agreements.

For auction participants, transaction and identity records may be retained for an extended period consistent with applicable state laws governing vehicle sales, title transfers, and business records. Usage Data and anonymous analytics data may be retained indefinitely in aggregated, non-identifiable form.

Section 10

Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your state of residence, you may have certain rights regarding your Personal Information. We honor the following rights to the extent required by applicable law:

Right Description
Right to Know / Access You may request a copy of the Personal Information we hold about you and information about how it is used and shared.
Right to Deletion You may request that we delete your Personal Information, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., where retention is required to complete a transaction or comply with law).
Right to Correction You may request that we correct inaccurate Personal Information we hold about you.
Right to Non-Discrimination We will not deny services, charge different prices, or provide a different level of service to you for exercising your privacy rights.
Right to Opt Out of Sale We do not sell your Personal Information. No opt-out is required, but you may contact us to confirm this at any time.

California residents may also have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). To submit a privacy rights request, please contact us using the information in Section 14 below. We will respond to verifiable requests within the timeframe required by applicable law.

Section 11

Children’s Privacy

Our Services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from minors. If you believe that a minor has provided us with Personal Information without parental consent, please contact us immediately and we will take steps to delete that information.

Section 12

Third-Party Links & Services

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, payment portals, or government agency sites. This Privacy Policy applies solely to information collected by Impound Car Auction. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of any third-party sites or services, and we encourage you to review their privacy policies independently before providing any information.

Our website is protected by reCAPTCHA. The Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply to its use.

Section 13

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. When we do, we will revise the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page.

For material changes that significantly affect how we handle your Personal Information, we will provide prominent notice on our website or, where appropriate, notify you by email. Your continued use of our Services following the posting of any updated Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of those changes.

We encourage you to review this Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

Section 14

Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your Personal Information, please contact us:

Impound Car Auction — Privacy Inquiries

Website: impoundcarauction.com

Email: info@impoundcarauction.com

We will respond to all verifiable privacy requests within 30 days of receipt, or as otherwise required by applicable law.